Ambidexter (horse) facts for kids

Ambidexter (born 1787) was a famous British Thoroughbred racehorse. He is best known for winning the important classic St Leger Stakes in 1790. His racing career lasted from May 1790 to September 1791. All his races took place in Yorkshire, England. He won two of his eight races. After he stopped racing, he was not used for breeding.

About Ambidexter: His Family and Owners

Ambidexter was a bay horse, meaning he had a reddish-brown body and a black mane and tail. His father was Phoenomenon, who also won the St Leger race in 1783. Phoenomenon was a stallion in Yorkshire before moving to the United States.

Ambidexter was bred by R Hill. His mother, Manilla, was a very important mare. She had ten foals, and Ambidexter was her fourth. Manilla's other children and their descendants became famous racehorses too. These included Lounger, Blacklock, and Sir Hercules.

Ambidexter's owners were part of a group from Yorkshire. This group included his breeder R Hill, Henry Goodricke, Mr Dealtry, and Gilbert Crompton. Ambidexter raced wearing the special colours of different owners from this group.

Ambidexter's Racing Journey

Ambidexter competed in horse races for two years. He showed great promise, especially in his first year of racing.

1790: Racing as a Three-Year-Old

Ambidexter's first race was on May 19 at York Racecourse. He was owned by R Hill at this time. He won a "match race" against another colt. A match race is when only two horses compete against each other. This race was two miles long and had a prize of 200 guineas.

Later in 1790, Mr Dealtry owned Ambidexter. In August, Ambidexter raced at York again. He came in second place in a two-mile "sweepstakes" race. A sweepstakes is a race where the prize money comes from entry fees paid by the owners.

A few days later, he ran in a different type of race. This race was run in "heats," meaning horses had to win twice to get the prize. Ambidexter was a favorite to win, but he finished fifth in both heats.

Winning the St Leger Stakes

On September 28, Ambidexter raced in the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse. This was a very important race for three-year-old horses. Eight horses competed in the two-mile race. Ambidexter was ridden by his trainer, George Searle. He started at odds of 5/1, meaning people thought he had a good chance to win.

Ambidexter won the St Leger, beating a colt owned by Lord Archibald Hamilton. Another horse named Spanker finished third. Winning the St Leger was a huge achievement for Ambidexter.

1791: Racing as a Four-Year-Old

After his big win, Ambidexter did not race for eleven months. He returned to racing at York on August 23, 1791. He was the favorite in a four-mile sweepstakes race but finished third out of four horses.

A week later, Ambidexter raced for Giles Crompton. He competed in a heat race at Chesterfield. He won the first heat but lost the next two to a horse named Buzzard.

On September 13, Ambidexter ran in another heat race at Wakefield. He finished second in the first heat and won the second. However, he was beaten in the final heat by a filly named Pigeon.

Final Race at Doncaster

Ambidexter's last recorded race was the Gold Cup at Doncaster on September 28. This race was special because it brought together four past St Leger winners: Ambidexter, Young Traveller, Pewett, and Spadille. Young Traveller won the race, with Spadille in second. Ambidexter finished fourth in this challenging race.

Life After Racing

After his racing career ended, Ambidexter was not used as a breeding stallion. This means he did not have any known offspring.